Adjustable article stand



April 25, 1950 M. WEINBERGER ADJUSTABLE ARTICLE STAND Filed Aug. 9, 1947INVENTOR M0171}? We 2m 6629?]: BY

g My 1 a 1 4. H- a i a ,M W 2 2 I .H. n 0 a "U r: 1 (R111 -4 1L 1ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLEARTICLE STAND "Morris Weinberger, New York, N. Y.

Application August 9, 1947, Serial No. 767,674

'6 Claims.

This inventionrelates :to article. stands of the adjustable type adaptedto hold articles and fa cilitate their adjustment to any desiredposition.

Article holders of the-class indicated are well- The present inventionhas forits prime object to provide an automatically adjustable articlestand of an inexpensive, simple and efiective construction, and whichstand enlarges the bulk of the article for whichlit isintended .by but asmall margin .so that an articlelheldlin the stand may be carried orhandled withtaslilittleIdifiiculty as the article itself withoutthestand.

Another object of'this invention isto provide an automaticallyadjustableiarticle stand which is equipped with an expandable base, andwherein all stand parts, including the e'x'pandablebase and thestructure extending therefrom, so closely approximate the largest bodydimensions, such as the perimeter, of the. article, that the bulk of thearticle together with the standwill not materially exceed the bulk ofthe article'itself,

Another object of this "invention.istoprovide a stand employing anexpandable base adapted to support an adjustable 'article holder, "whichlatter may be'swung'to'any desired "position in respect to thef base,and wherein means are provided for keeping "th'e'articleheld by theholder at any desired adjusted position.

The foregoing and 'still further objects and additional advantages"ofthe device will become more fully apparent frormthezensuing descrip'tion, in conjunction with "the accompanyingdrawings, which latter,althoughdisclosing but two of the manypossible forms oilthe device,'areby no means intendedtolimit the 'inventionto the actual showing, andwherein? V 1 is a perspective viewof the standinaccordance'with thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragment'al side elevation of"theartiole holder, one of itssup orts and one form of the p detent means forkeeping the"holder inadjusted "position;

numeral l0 denotes a circular, substantially flat base with which arepivotally associated at spaced, peripheral points I I a number. ofarcuated extension elements l2, which are normally held in theirretracted position within the periphery of the base, but which may beswung outwardly in radial direction, as indicated in broken lines in'Fig. 4. At the free end of the elements are preferably arranged lockingmeans I3, such as pressed-out elevations, while in the basebody. areprovided corresponding depressions or sockets M for the reception ofelevations 53 when elements l2 are in their retracted position.

Extending from two oppositely disposed peripheral points of base l0, andfixedly secured thereto, are symmetrically arranged brackets l5, ,whichpreferably reduce in width towards their free ends, and between whichends is pivotally and adjustably supported a resilient article holderL6. The latter constitutes a self-contained clip, set to normally assumea fixed, closing position, that is a position at which its endsapproximate or abut with one another.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, these detailillustrations disclose thepivotal mounting of clip H5 in brackets I5. A pin I'I passes through anaperture at the end of bracket 15. The portion of the pinengaging thataperture is reduced at l 8. The outer end of the pin forms a head l9,whilethe interior portion of the pin is enlarged to a shoulder 20. Headl9 prevents an inward movement of the pin and shoulder 2!! prevents anoutward movement thereof. Shoulder 20 has an extension 2! which isfixedly secured in clip l6. Shoulder 29 passes through a detentmember'22 in the form of a ratchet wheel, which latter is permanentlysecured to the body of clip I6.

Below the aperture for pin I! there is stamped from the body of bracketiii a detent element 23 in the form of a spring, the upper end of whichis bent outwardly and constitutes a ratchet. in operative engagementwith ratchet wheel 22. Spring 23 and ratchet 24 operate in the-aperture24' produced by striking out these two instrumentalities from thematerial of bracket l5.

A structure similar to that described in connection with Figs. 2 and 3is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, with the exception that instead of'thedetent element 23 struck from the body of the bracket, there is shown anindependent detent element 25 which takes the form of a spring structuresubstantially in the shape of an inverted letter T. The bar of the T isriveted .oi'

Jotherwise fastened at 28 to bracket l5. L'Ihe upper end oi the detentelement terminatesin 3 a ratchet tooth 2'! adapted for engagement withthe teeth of ratchet wheel 22. Ratchet element operates within a slot 28struck out from bracket In order to prevent the end of an article to beheld by the device against sidewise movement between brackets I5, thereis associated with the base an adjustable and retractable retainer 29.The latter comprises a clip formation consisting of a strip 39 which ispivotally secured at 3i to the center of base i0, and from which stripextend upwardly two flanges 32 provided with outwardly extending stops33 adapted to register with edge recesses 34 provided in brackets l5.This retainer is adapted to engage the end of an article placed in thedevice and to prevent the latter from swinging between the brackets. Forthis purpose the retainer is placed in the position shown in the figure.When the article is to be removed from the device the retainer may beswung in the direction indicated by the arrow to its inoperativeposition at which stops 33 will register with recess 34 of brackets IS.The retainer is intended to be used only then when the article to beheld by the device is to be kept in upright position in the manner seenin Fig. 1, for instance, when the article and the device are to becarried in a pocket or in a tool box. When, however, the article is tobe positioned at an angle. in respect to the brackets, the retainer isplaced into inoperative position to permit such adjustment.

Operation Clip i6, made of highly resilient material, is set to retain apermanent shape, preferably corresponding to the shape of the articlewhich is to be held by or accommodated within the clip, such as, forinstance, a flash-light, indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1. Theresiliency of clip l6 has a tendency of urging ratchet wheels 22 inoutward direction, that is towards brackets 15, so that shoulders 20 ofpins 1'! will bear against the interior faces of the brackets. Ratchetelements 23 and 25 are designed to urge their respective ratchets 24 and2'! into engagement with ratchet wheels 22. When the article held in the.clip is to be tilted from say the vertical position, indicated in Fig.1, to any other position, the cooperation between ratchet wheels 22 anddetent elements 23 or 25 will retain the article in such tiltedposition.

Elements I2 for enlarging the normal supporting surface of the base maybe swung outwardly,

as explained in connection with Fig. 4, when it 7 seems evident that thenormal supporting surface of the base alone would be insufiicient tokeep the stand in upright position.

It is the intention of the present invention to so construct the base aswell as thcrest of the structural arrangement of the stand that its bulkwillincrease the bulk of the article held in the stand so little, thatfor practical purposes such increase will be negligible.

While the foregoing describes but two specific structures disclosed inthe appended drawings, changes and improvements in the device may beincorporated without departing from the principle and scope of thepresent invention claimed below.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class indicated, a substantially flat, circularbase, an adjustably mounted resilient article holder spaced from thebase and having means held under tension by the resiliency of the holderbody for facilitating adjustment and retention of the holder at anydesired position relative to the base, a pair of resilient bracketsfixedly secured at one of their ends to and extending from twodiametrically opposite peripheral points of the base and sup portingsaid article holder between their free ends, said means for facilitatingadjustment of the holder body comprising ratchet wheels attached at twooppositeexterior points to said holder body, and resiliently mountedratchets extending from said brackets into operative engagement withsaid ratchet wheels. 4

2. In a device of the class indicated, a substantially circular and flatbase, a pair of symmetrically arranged brackets extending from twoopposite peripheral points of the base, a resilient article holderpivotally associated with said brackets to render it adjustable relativeto the latter, ratchet wheels and ratchets arranged at the free ends Fof the brackets and forming automatic detent means for retaining thearticle holder at any position to which it is adjusted, and arcuated,retractable means for enlarging the supporting surface of the base, theentire structure of the device, including said base, with its surfaceenlarging means in retracted position, said article holder and saidbrackets being adapted to closely approximate the largest perimeter ofan article to be held for reducing to a minimum the bulk of the device.

3. In a device as per claim 2, said arcuated, retractable means forenlarging the supporting surface of the base comprising a plurality ofresilient elements pivotally secured to the base at spaced, peripheralpoints thereof, and being adapted to be swung outwardly beyond theperiphery of the base, and cooperating retention means provided in thebase and at the free ends of said elements for holding the latter inretracted position beneath and within the outer periphery of the base.

4. In a device of the class indicated, a base, an adj ustably mountedresilient article holder spaced from the base and having means heldunder tension by the resiliency of the holder body for facilitatingadjustment and retention of the holder at any desired position relativeto the base, and article retention means operatively associated with thebase for preventing movement of the end of an article resting againstthe base of the device.

5. In an adjustable article stand, a substantially flat, circular,radially expandable base, a pair of upwardly tapering brackets fixedlysecured to and extending from opposite points of the base periphery, anarticle holder pivoted at and between the free ends of the brackets andbeing adapted for adjustment in respect to said brackets, said articleholder comprising a selfcontained resilient clip; cooperating detentmeans for keeping the holder in any desired adjusted position, saiddetent means comprising two oppo sitely disposed ratchetwheels fixedlysecured to said holder and having as their axes the latters pivotalpoints, and two corresponding resilient ratchet elements extending fromthe brackets toward and operatively engaging said ratchet wheels of theholder, and a retainer for the lower end of an article to be held in thestand, said retainer being operatively and adjustably associated withthe base and having stop means for engagement with said brackets.

6. In an adjustable article stand, an expandable base, a pair ofupwardly tapering brackets extending from opposite points of the baseperiphery, an article holder pivoted at and between the free ends of thebrackets and being adapted for adjustment in respect to said brackets,said article holder comprising a self-contained resilient clip;cooperating detent means for keeping the holder in any desired adjustedposition, said detent means comprising two oppositely disposed detentmembers fixedly secured to said holder about the latters pivotal points,and two corresponding resilient detent elements extending from thebrackets toward and operatively engaging said detent elements of theholder, a retractable retainer for the lower end of an article to beheld in the stand, said retainer comprising a member centrally pivotedat the base and having end extensions for engaging the sides of sucharticle, said extensions being provided with stop means adapted forengagement with said brackets for limiting the movement of the retainer,said brackets having 6 recesses for receiving said stop means when theretainer is in its retracted position, said retainer ibeing operativewithin the space limited by the brackets.

MORRIS WEINBERGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

